


something always brings me back to you

by lunarjosie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28403583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarjosie/pseuds/lunarjosie
Summary: Following her jump into Malivore that consequently erased every trace of her existence, Hope Mikaelson restarts her life as "new and improved" Hope Marshall. She makes it through four years until she is faced with a sudden reunion with her former classmates from the Salvatore Boarding School.orA mix between a rewrite of season two and a College AU where Hope reunites with old friends and foes in the most unexpected way.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Maya Machado/Hope Mikaelson
Comments: 35
Kudos: 247





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever and I'm not usually one to write but I have an idea stuck in my head soo I thought why not! I'm already annoyed with season 3 and I never really liked season 2 so here I am lmao. Also, I figured it'd be good practice since I'm taking a creative writing class :')

Hope sucks in a breath, taking in the surroundings around her. She was standing in the center of the quad, her eyes gazing back and forth between the three buildings bordering her. Each one looked drastically different from the other—one standing at what seemed to be only two stories tall, another possessing a dark masonry that wrapped around its boxy figure, and the last looking like a modern skyscraper compared to the rest. She furrowed her eyebrows at such a bold stylistic choice but shrugged it off as she glanced down at the paper given to her. 

_Apollo Hall. Traditional Double - Rm. 1228_

"Hey, do you need some help?" 

Blue eyes shot towards the direction of the sound, ultimately fixating on a pair of brown eyes. Hesitating for a brief moment, her mind begins to register the looks of the brunette girl standing in front of her. 

"Oh uh," Hope lets out a small laugh. "Actually yeah, I'm a little lost trying to find my building." 

The taller, brown-haired girl inches closer and takes a swift look at the paper in Hope's hands. 

"Oh Apollo! We're in the same dorm, here let me show you." In the same breath, the girl gestures towards the white paneled building. "And I'm Maya by the way." 

Shortly after exchanging a smile and her own name, Hope follows Maya towards what would now be her new _home._ She clenches her jaw, her eyes investigating the building as they approached it.

_Can't believe I'm really in college. I haven't even been to school since..._

Realizing the path her mind was going down, she shook her head deciding to release any thoughts of _the incident_. Taking in a deep breath, she turns to Maya. 

"So considering your lack of confusion, I'm guessing you already moved in?" 

Maya nods with a smile, stepping forward to push the button for the elevator. 

"Yup got early move in yesterday. Thank god, wouldn't want to be looking like a lost puppy like you back there." 

Hope laughs, rolling her eyes. "Oh shut up. I'm sure you were the exact same yesterday too." 

The brunette girl shrugs as a soft chime rang throughout the lobby. "Nah, unlike some people I studied the map before stepping foot on campus." Maya shot Hope a smirk which instantly resulted in soft scoff from the latter girl. "What floor are you on?" 

"Okay first off, rude. Second off, I'm on the 12th floor. I'm in 1228." 

"Oh sweet, I'm only the floor below you in 1105. Each floor is paired with another to share a joint common area so there are stairs for easy access between our floors." The elevator doors come to a close as Maya presses the button for their respective floors.

"Perfect. Looks like I just gotta find me some friends to see then." 

This time it was Maya's turn to roll her eyes, chuckling at the blue-eyed girl's comment. "I have a feeling we're going to be great friends, Hope Marshall." The two share a smile as the elevator comes to a slow halt. "Well here's my stop. If you need me, you know where to find me." The brunette girl sends one last smile before exiting and waving goodbye. 

Once on her own floor, Hope quickly navigates her way through her floor and finds her room located a few doors down from the stairs Maya mentioned earlier. She opens the door to find an empty moderate-sized room. 

_Guess the roommate isn't here yet._

Hope's eyes glaze over the room, taking in the details of her new space. Despite it not being that huge of a room, it surprisingly contained two full-sized beds along with two dressers, two desks, and a bathroom. Between the two beds, there’s a single nightstand topped off with a small lamp. Every piece of furniture is painted black while the walls are all a plain shade of white. For what it's worth being a dorm room and all, it definitely is a pretty sweet room. 

_Perks of being one of the most prestigious supernatural schools I guess._

Hope decides on the left side of the room, dropping her bags in front of the bed. She starts to unpack her items, starting with her clothes. Once done filling up her drawers, she moves on to her bedding and eventually her decor. As for decor, she sticks with strings of fairy lights and a framed painting of a city skyline. After satisfied with her side of the room, the blue-eyed girl figured she'd take a quick shower before heading out to explore the rest of campus. 

//

After stepping out of the shower, Hope changes into a simple outfit— ripped jeans topped with a black camisole and an oversized cream sweater. She fixes her hair up into a bun, letting two small strands of hair drape alongside her face. Deciding on a natural look, she puts on little makeup before walking out of the bathroom. To her surprise, Hope’s eyes are immediately met with a brown-haired figure attempting to hang up photos on the wall behind the right side bed

_Ah finally, the roommate._

Hope approaches the figure, her mind slowly processing the side profile of the figure in front of her. 

_Oh fuck._

_No way._

_It can’t be._

"Jo?" 

Josie Saltzman swiftly turns around with eyebrows furrowed as she glances at the smaller auburn-haired girl. 

"Uhh, how did you-" 

Hope’s eyes widen momentarily, quickly realizing her mistake. 

"Oh, your name tag," She says, glancing down at the sticker rocking Josie's handwritten name.

Josie lets a laugh before shaking her head, "Ohh I totally forgot, didn't realize we were on nicknames already though..." Her lips perk up into a small smile as she sticks her hand out. "Nice to meet you roomie. I don’t see your name tag?" 

"I’m Hope. Hope Marshall." The smaller girl responds by taking the others' hand in hers, giving it a light shake. For a brief moment, their fingers linger in each other's, blue eyes locking with brown. 

_knock knock._

"Josie? Are you done packing? You’ll never believe which god awful creature they’ve-" 

_Lizzie??_

Josie shot a sympathetic look towards Hope, as she let go of her hand and walked towards the door. “It’s my twin sister, sorry give me a second.” 

The door opened up revealing Lizzie who continued with her rant until her eyes laid on the auburn-haired girl in front of her. 

“Didn’t realize this school was for dwarfs too.” 

Hope scoffed, a small smile forming on her face. Although she’d never admit it twice, it was somewhat nice to hear Lizzie’s voice, even at her own expense. Josie quickly shot the girl a sympathetic look as her sister continued on.

“Look Jo, I am absolutely famished and there’s no way in hell you’re going to let me go to the dining hall with my wannabe Draculaura roommate.” 

_Not much has changed huh._

Josie rolls her eyes, chuckling at her sister. “Okay okay, I’ll come with you. A quick dinner, because unlike you,” She glances and smiles softly at Hope, “I’d like to get to know my roommate.” 

With that, Lizzie turns on her heels, already halfway out the door by the time Josie finishes her sentence. 

“I’ll see you later Hope.”

The second the door shuts, the blue-eyed girl releases a breath as she absently stares into space. There’s only one major thing on the tribrid’s mind, as she begins to process what just happened. 

_Oh my god. How is this possible?_


	2. Chapter 2

Upon immediate arrival, Josie felt herself salivate as the scent of roasted garlic and fresh mozzarella filled the air. Regardless of the vast space, the huge dining hall felt very cozy. The dim lighting created by streamed string lights from the ceiling in addition to the moonlight shining through the glass windows gave a total moody impression.

_She loved it._

“Jo did you wanna split a margherita pizza?”

Having tuned the rest of the world out, the slightly smaller Saltzman was staring blankly into the distance.

“Hello? Earth to Josie??”

“Wha- Sorry, I’m just tired from the drive and moving in. Yeah Lizzie I’d love to split it.” Josie held up a smile as her sister gave her a quick look of disbelief before shrugging it off.

“Okay good.”

Silence overtook them as they walked towards the line piling in front of the brick oven.

“Has someone ever called you a nickname the first time they’ve met you?”

Lizzie turned her head sideways as she peered at her brown-eyed sister. “Lizzie is my nickname so obviously.”

Josie pursed her lips, tongue-tied on how to articulate what she’s thinking.

“Why are you even asking?”

Right after the question was asked, a man dusted in flour wearing an otherwise polished uniform gestured to them that they were up.

_Saved by the bell._

“I’ll order.” Josie quickly remarked as she stepped up to order their 10” split pizza. Once ordered they stepped aside, where the brunette girl slipped back into her daydreams.

Snapping her sister back to reality once again, Lizzie grew a concerned look. “Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to need you to hop off of cloud 9 and tell me what the hell is going on with you today??”

“I’m going to sound crazy.”

“Oh please Jo it runs in the family, get used to it.” The blonde girl held a slight smirk as she reached for their tiny box of pizza. As they began to walk towards the general seating area, Lizzie continued to poke, “So… are you going to spill or what? Think I’m gonna end up with a twin headache seeing you think so hard.”

Josie let out a soft laugh as she shook her head. “Okay okay, I’ve just been thinking about my roommate.”

“Ugh, gross.”

“Relax, not like that.” With the hint of curiosity and confusion on Lizzie’s face, the brunette let out a sigh. “There’s something about her.” A beat passes. “I just– I don’t know what, but there’s something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something about her feels oddly familiar? Maybe I’m just overthinking it because she called me Jo.”

Lizzie took a huge bite of her pizza as she glanced at her sister. “Let me get this straight. Your roommate called you a nickname when you first met and because of that, you one, have your panties in a twist and two, think you two suddenly share some connection??”

The brunette girl rolled her eyes as a pout formed on her lips. “I told you I was going to sound crazy.”

“Look Josie, I’m practically the queen of crazy and what you said to me is nothing compared to most things I’ve heard. I think you’re still woozy from the car ride and it’s messing with your brain.”

Keeping the pout on her face, Josie reached over to grab herself a slice of pizza. At the same moment, the silhouette of a third figure appeared next to them.

“There you two are.”

Simultaneously, the twins turned towards the sound of the voice and immediately greeted the figure with smiles.

“MG where were you? I’ve been stuck alone with half-conscious Josie for the past hour.”

Josie threw a glare at her sister before focusing her sight back at MG. “Well, now that you’re here.” She stood from her seat, beginning to pack up her share of the pizza. “Lizzie is all yours. I’m exhausted so I’m gonna head back to my room. See you two tomorrow!” Without missing a beat, the brown-eyed girl hurried out of the dining hall, leaving two very confused faces.

//

As Josie made her way back, she began to take note of the campus around her. As per usual, she studied the maps religiously before arriving so she was fairly familiar with the sights around her. However, seeing it in person felt different. It was real. For years she never imagined herself being anywhere but the Salvatore School, yet here she was. A whole new school, in a whole new state, in a whole new room, with a whole new roommate.

_Speak of the devil._

As Josie turned a corner, she bumped right into her blue-eyed roommate.

“Josie.”

“Hope.”

“Getting back so early?”

“Yeah,” Josie gestured to the pizza box in her hands as she shrugged. “Love Lizzie but I was exhausted from the trip so I decided to take it to go.”

Hope held a small smile as she nodded at the other girl’s remark.

“Where are you headed?”

“Nowhere in particular, just trying to familiarize myself with campus so I’m not lost for classes tomorrow.”

“Well you’re just in luck.” The brunette girl remarked as a grin washed over her face. “I studied the map before coming so I’d make a great tour guide.”

A chuckle escaped from Hope’s lips as she threw Josie a sideways look. “Thought you said you were tired.”

“Consider it as an apology for earlier.”

The shorter girl’s eyebrow furrowed as she peered at the other girl. “For?”

“For my sister Lizzie earlier, bad first impression to ditch you upon moments of meeting you.” Josie lets out a sigh, holding a small smile. “Been trying to work on my codependency but as you saw, it’s still a work in progress.”

The auburn-haired girl nodded with a reassuring smile. “Well, apology accepted. Just so you know though, I would never hold it against you.”

“Either way, I’d be happy to show you around. I was a designated tour guide at my old school and I somehow kinda miss it?”

They exchange a laugh before Josie holds an arm out. “Shall we?”

Hope nods, linking her arms with Josie’s extended one. “Lead the way.”


	3. Chapter 3

Just as the pair embarked on their little voyage around campus, the sun began to set. Hues of blue mixed with pink and purple, creating a visual that seemed to come straight out of a painting. Needless to say, it was a beautiful sight. Despite the initial hesitation of Josie’s offer, Hope eventually eased up midway into the tour. While the scenery helped quite a bit, her easing up was greatly due to Josie—as the brunette Saltzman had always possessed a kind, affable quality to her. Plus, not only was this the same Josie Saltzman she knew years ago, but also a new and improved version of her. This Josie Saltzman had matured, grown in confidence, and wasn’t so afraid to vocalize her thoughts. Hope couldn’t help but smile at the thought of it. 

“Hope?”

The tribrid quickly came to her senses, glancing at the taller girl who was now raising an eyebrow at her. “Sorry, what’d you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to try making it to Amberstone, the training facility. It’s on the other end of campus and closes soon, I was just wondering if you were too tired to continue.” Josie holds a smile as she peers at the other girl. “From the looks of it, it seems like you are. We can just go tomorrow if you’d like.”

Hope shakes her head, her lips perking up into a smile. “No, let’s go.”

To respond, Josie nods, once again relinking their arms as they walked towards the direction of the training facility. As Hope came to realize it, the pair actually kept their arms linked throughout the majority of their time out. Of course, from time to time they would casually unlink to open doors but only to relink moments later once they were inside. 

_ It was kind of nice. _

“Do you wanna play no answers for free?”

The blue-eyed girl turns her head towards the other, her eyes automatically locking with brown. Confused, she raises an eyebrow at the taller girl. “What now?”

“It’s a question game to get to know each other. I ask you a question and once answered, you’re able to ask me one in return, I’ll answer and then repeat. Hence no answers for free.”

Hope purses her lips, hesitating on her response. 

“Don’t worry, we can start off easy.” Josie shoots a reassuring smile which ultimately results in the tribrid giving in. “Oh and after someone answers, you have to immediately move onto another question. No replies to what the person actually said.”

“Okay, okay. You go first.”

_ This shall be good. _

“Where are you from?”

“New Orleans, I was born there.” 

_ Not entirely false. _

Josie raises her eyebrows, nodding. “Oh yeah, you totally fit that mysterious vibe.”

Both girls let out a laugh as Hope lightly nudges her, “Hey! You said no replies, only questions and answers.”

A smirk appears on Josie’s face as she continues to laugh softly, “My bad, as my penalty you can ask two questions then.”

“Hmm. Where are  _ you _ from and what brings you here?”

_ As if I don’t already know her whole life story already.  _

“I apparently moved around a bit when I was super young, but the short answer is Mystic Falls, Virginia. It’s where the school I keep referring to is.” The brunette girl chuckles, taking a pause before continuing. “As for what brings me here, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with evil and I want to ensure others don’t catch the same fate. Kinda cheesy I know, but I figure it’s only best to use your powers for good.”

Hope held a smile, nodding at Josie’s response. As they walked, they continued to go back and forth asking a series of random questions until they reached their destination. 

// 

Once arrived, Josie unlinks their arms and uses them to gesture at the building in front of them. “Here we are.” The brunette girl beams, eying inside the place. “There’s a pool, weights room, combat room, and much more. Basically training equipment galore.”

The auburn-haired girl could feel her jaw subtly drop as she took in the sight in front of her. To put it simply, she was speechless. The training facility, aka Amberstone, was a multileveled building that stretched to what seemed to be a football field long with panoramic windows all around its exterior. Able to peer inside, Hope found exactly what Josie had listed—a room where the only light source derived from the rich blue pool, another that contained mats and punching bags for what Hope guessed to be combat, and a weights room containing various workout machinery. 

“Can we go inside?”

Josie simply nodded, pulling the other girl inside with her. Immediately walking into the room closest to them, the pair end up in the combat room. As expected, they saw numerous mats laying all over the floor along with boxing equipment. To Hope’s surprise though she sees a bucket of wooden staff near the back walk. Enticed by the staff, the blue-eyed girl walked toward them and grabbed one. 

_ Wow. I haven’t held one since my training days at- _

_ For a long time. _

Snapping out of her thoughts, Hope glances up to see Josie with her eyebrows perked up.

“Are you trying to challenge me to a fight Hope Marshall?” 

_ Marshall. _

“No offense, but I could easily kick your ass Josie Saltzman.” The auburn haired girl teases, thinking it would lead nowhere.

_ Oh was I wrong. _

Picking up a staff of her own, the brown-eyed Saltzman twin motions the other girl towards a mat on the ground. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

Hope raises an eyebrow, peering at the girl carefully. “Jo, I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

“I can hold my ground, I trained with my dad a lot before coming here. Plus, I could use the practice.”

The tribrid continues to eye the other, internally debating on whether to accept or not. It doesn't take long until she gives in, as she—as per usual—is unable to back away from a fight. A stubborn trait passed down from both her paternal and maternal side. 

_ I mean, what’s the harm anyway? _

Meeting each other on a mat, the two lock eyes as they both circle around, no one making a move. 

“Loser buys dessert?”

Hope lets out a laugh before nodding her head, “Sure but just remember you dug your own grave.”

With that, the Saltzman twin was the first to strike as she swung the staff towards Hope’s side. Quickly blocking that attempt, Hope retaliates with her own strike to the other’s side. Another block and soon enough, the two were rallying back and forth. After some time, the taller girl found herself with her butt on the mat and a wooden staff staring right at her.

“Told you so.” Hope remarks, clearly proud at her seemingly successful attempt at cornering Josie. Before she could call victory though, the latter girl uses her staff to sweep the blue-eyed girl off her feet and onto the mat. In the same motion, Josie swiftly flips her body to align directly on top of Hope. Using her own staff the same way Hope did moments ago, Josie holds a sly smile. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” 

For a short period, nothing but silence and heavy breathing filled the air, the two maintaining eye contact the entire time. Eventually, the pair broke into a fit of laughter, Josie getting off of Hope and offering a hand. After accepting the hand and standing up, Hope gave the brunette a smile. “Not bad Jo.” 

They returned their staff, collecting their stuff before heading out of the facility. Walking out, the moonlight shined amongst them. 

As her phone lit up, Josie checked her screen and took note of the time. “Didn’t realize how late it got.” 

“Yeah, are there even any places open right now?” 

“I have an idea. Follow me, it’s right next to our dorm.” 

Half surprised, a soft smile creeps up on Hope’s face. “You truly are a tour guide.” 

Josie laughs, crossing an arm over the other. “I’d hope so. I was one at my old school for as long as I could remember.” 

There’s a slight pause before the brunette starts up again. 

“Speaking of, you never mentioned what school you went to.” 

Hope’s eyes trail down, her brain cracking up a quick excuse. “Oh I just went to a normal public school, I learned a lot of magic through books and my family.” 

Josie raises her eyebrows as she stared at the blue-eyed girl in awe. “Okay, you definitely just became the biggest badass here.” She let out a laugh right as they arrived in front of the cookie shop. “Everyone I know, including me, has had formal education and to think you’re just as powerful without is beyond me.”

_ If you only knew.  _

Hope let out a small laugh, opening the door into the shop. “Whatever you say Jo.”

Immediately inside, the girls’ noses were automatically welcomed by the scent of freshly baked cookies. With little hesitation, Hope and Josie quickly ordered their cookies getting snickerdoodle and chocolate chip respectively. Once ordered, Hope kept her end of the deal by paying for it all. Once done, they left the store and made a quick trip back to their dorm. 

“Satisfied?”

“Very much so.” Josie let out before taking a bite out of her cookie. “Thanks Hope.”

“Thank yourself Miss Combat Winner.” The girls exchange a laugh as they walked into their building, towards the elevators.

Just as they reached their floor, Josie’s phone began to ring loudly causing the brunette to quickly answer it without paying mind to the caller ID. “Hello?”

Feeling as if she was invading the girl’s privacy, Hope tuned out Josie’s conversation. As they continued to walk down the route towards their room, the tribrid absently zoned out into her own thoughts. It wasn’t until they were right in front of their room until Josie hung up. 

“Hey, I’ll catch up with you inside later? That was my friend MG, he’s asking to meet up real quick. He’s with a bunch of friends from my old school and was wondering if I could say hi. I kind of left Lizzie and him in a hurry during dinner earlier so I feel like I at least owe them this.”

Hope flashes a quick smile as she shook her head, “Yeah of course, go ahead. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Alright cool, I’ll see you. Thanks again for the cookie!” Josie reciprocates a smile, waving the tribrid goodbye as she walks in the other direction. 

Once inside, Hope instantly let out a deep breath. 

_ How many of them are here?? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i may have used kai + josie's scenes in season 2 to influence that question game...


	4. Chapter 4

Walking into the 5th floor common room, Josie’s eyes were immediately met with an abundance of students from the Salvatore Boarding School. Many of which were her own friends, which to this day still stuns Josie as to how they all wound up in the same exact place after graduating. Though considering what they all went through to help defeat Malivore and Triad, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. 

“Yo, Jo.” 

Turning her head to discover MG, the brunette girl held a soft smile. “MG hey, sorry for rushing out on you and Lizzie earlier. Just was drained from the car ride over.”

“You’re good, no hard feelings.” He chuckled before pointing out Lizzie on the couch, “Lizzie however isn’t as forgiving. She said she stopped by your room but nobody answered, she thinks you’re giving her the cold shoulder.”

Josie frowned, immediately shaking her head. “What no, I just wasn’t in my dorm all night.” She sighed. “I was out exploring campus with my roommate.” 

The afro haired boy nodded. “Ah well you should go tell her that. I’ll go grab us some drinks.” 

With that, Josie began to walk to her sister carrying an apologetic smile. “Hey Lizzie.” 

Without looking up, the blonde Saltzman crossed her arms. "Thought you'd be too busy ignoring me to show up." 

Josie rolled her eyes, plopping down onto the couch, next to her sister. "I wasn't even in my room. I was out all night-" 

Lizzie's eyes shot up, a curious expression on her face. 

"With Hope." Josie finished her sentence causing the blonde's curiosity to skyrocket even more. 

"Oh so panties in a twist Hope is the one you snuck off to during dinner? Damn, that was fast. Wait till blue waldo finds out about that." 

"It's not even like that, we just met." The brunette let out a sigh as she glanced up to see the tall, black-haired boy across the room. "As for _Jed,_ I personally have no interest in repeating last summer." 

"Yeah well, wolves are persistent and loyal. He's still such a puppy dog when it comes to you, it's gross." 

Josie let out a laugh, "Doesn't mean anything. He's my best friend and we had a moment. Once. He knows I don't have feelings for him." 

"Whatever you say, Josie."

Right as their current conversation came to an end, MG came around with drinks. He handed one to the brunette Saltzman and kept one for himself, Lizzie already being preoccupied with her own. A huge grin was plastered on his face as he took a seat next to Lizzie. "Soo what'd I miss?" 

The blonde was the first to speak up. "Oh you know, nothing much. Just discussing Josie's roommate and how she has the potential to break the heart of wolf boy." 

Josie rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink. 

"Wolf boy? I thought your eyes were set on _Jade_ , the transfer student from last year." 

Lizzie gasped, "Wow playboy much Jo." 

Placing her drink on the table, the brown-eyed girl burrowed her face in her hands. "I don't have my eyes set on anyone. We're all just friends." 

MG shrugged as he wrapped an arm around Lizzie. "Hey, I'm all for independent Jo." 

Josie takes another sip of her drink as her eyes wandered around the room. "Maybe if the right person comes along but honestly I'm not currently looking." 

Suddenly the brunette felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes instantly were met with Jed. 

_Wonder if he was listening._

A smile appeared on his face, immediately pulling Josie into a hug. "I was wondering when you'd show up." 

Unwrapping her arms around his neck, she reciprocated a smile. "Sorry I've been out all night with the roommate." 

"Oh yeah, how is she? Does she measure up to Lizzie??" 

Josie let out a small laugh, "So far so good, her name's Hope and she seems really sweet." 

Jed nodded, stuffing his hands in his pocket. MG and Lizzie, gave the two some privacy as they continued with small talk, exchanging how each other's days went. As Josie came to notice, Jed completely had changed over the summer. More specifically, he seemed to have lost his whole preppy schoolboy look. Gone were the collared sweaters, cardigans, side part, and the abundance of blue stripes Lizzie mentioned earlier. Instead, the boy had a quiff hairstyle, was rocking black chinos, and a patterned button-up shirt that had the top few buttons undone. 

_Interesting._

"So you wanna go get some fresh air? This room's getting a little stuffy."

Josie made eye contact with the boy, nodding as she put her drink down. "Yeah, I'd like that." 

After walking through the crowd of _newly_ graduated Salvatore Students, with Josie saying hi to those she didn't get to earlier, the two finally made it outside. They decided to settle on the bench not too far from their building, both being too tired to walk anywhere else. Although it was way colder than it was inside, the weather outside wasn't too bad. As their school was in the upstate of New York, it was still fairly warm around this time in August. Summer was just reaching its peak here. 

"I still can't believe you managed to get a single. MG, Kaleb, and Rafael all have to cram into a room yet you get one all to yourself? Someone's lucky." 

Jed let out a laugh as he shrugged, "What can I say, perks of being the alpha." 

The brown-eyed girl rolled her eyes as her lips perked into a smile. "Yeah okay I still think you and Rafael could've set aside your differences for once to share a room though."

"Well in my defense, it wasn't up to me. Gotta bring it up with Ms. Freya Mikaelson." 

"Yeah, yeah." 

"Plus," Jed ran a hand through his hair before resting his arm on the backside of the bench. "Wouldn't you want to be able to have the privacy and freedom to bring whoever you want, whenever your want?" 

Josie let out a laugh, quickly shaking her head. "Yeah no, I rather not hook up with someone in a dorm room." 

_Oh no._

As soon as Josie finished her sentence, their eyes linked and an abrupt silence filled the air. 

For a brief moment, they waited in silence for the other to speak up first. 

"Look Jed-" 

"I heard what you said earlier." The brunette's lips slightly parted but she remained silent, signaling Jed to continue. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything, I was already walking up to say hey and I guess I popped in at the wrong moment." 

Josie's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she peered at the boy. "How much did you hear?"

"Not the whole conversation, more of just the end of it. I don't know if you named specifics, all I remember hearing is 'we're all just friends', but I'm guessing I'm included in that bunch." 

Josie let out a sigh, as she looked at the brown-eyed boy in front of her. She could see the hint of pain in them and it tugged at her heart strings. She really did love him, just not in the way that he may of hoped. "Look Jed, I know last summer we shared this moment but I don't see you as anything more than a friend. You're one of my best friends, and so if you need space then I'll respect that." 

The alpha nodded, a weak smile on his face. "I know. I'm glad I found that out now instead of making a fool of myself." He let out a laugh before continuing on, "Stings a bit but I'll take you in my life as my best friend over anything." 

Josie exchanges a smile, "I can be your wing-woman whenever needbe." 

"Might just take you up on that offer one day." 

They exchange a laugh before a comfortable silence washed over them. For a while, they simply sat and enjoyed each other's presence. This was soon interrupted as the sound of a door opening and closing rang through their ears.

Josie was the first to turn around, trying to see if she could identify the mysterious figure. "Wonder who that could be?" 

"My guess is Jade coming to look for you." 

_Please no._

The brunette let out a chuckle at the comment, continuing to try and discern who the silhouette was. Ultimately she came to no luck, unable to make out any key distinct features due to the dark of the night. As the person came closer, however, the light of the lamppost ultimately revealed their identity. 

"Hope?" 

Brown eyes locked with blue once again as Hope approached the pair. "Josie, hey." The girl's eyebrow perked up, her eyes glancing between the two. "Quite the party I see..." 

Josie let out a laugh as Jed chuckled beside her. "We decided to get some fresh air. What're you doing out?" 

"Oh, I was just heading to the woods." 

Confusion ran across Josie's face, as she eyed the girl in front of her. "This late at night? And alone?" 

Hope nodded, a gentle smile forming on her face. "Yeah to clear my head. Back where I live, my house is in the woods so guess I'm just a little homesick." 

Josie returned the smile, taking a quick look at the time on her phone. "It's pretty late though for a walk in the woods, I don't want you to get hurt." 

Before the auburn-haired girl could respond, Jed interjected, "I can come with you if you need." 

All eyes turned to him with Hope once again raising an eyebrow. Jed cleared his throat before explaining himself, "Uh sorry wolf instinct. I just meant I could accompany you in the woods, in case you needed extra protection. I was out there earlier today so I know the terrain well. Oh and I'm Jed." A small smile on his face as he stuck his hand out. 

Hope nodded slowly, glancing down at the seated boy. "Right... Well I appreciate it Jed but I think I'll be just fine." She then turned her attention towards the brunette girl. Seeing as she left Jed hanging, Hope saw Josie snicker before making eye contact with her. "I won't be out too late Jo, I'll see you when I get back." 

"Okay, be safe." 

Hope nodded and was just about to turn on her heels until Josie called her back. 

"Wait, Hope, why don't you give me your number just in case." Quickly unlocking her phone and accessing contacts, the brown-eyed girl stuck her phone out. 

Hope glanced at the phone and back at Josie before taking it in her hands, inserting her number. Once done, she handed back the phone and smiled at the brunette girl. "I'll see you." 

Once more, the boy spoke up. "Bye Hope. Let Josie know if you need me for backup." 

Hope laughed, immediately rolling her eyes at him. "Yeah okay, bye Jed." 

The pair watched the auburn-haired girl walk away and disappear in the distance. They sat on the bench for a little while more until they decided to head back to see who else was left at the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was ehh but hope you enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

As Hope reached the woods, she let out a sigh of relief seeing as there was no one there in sight. This is exactly what she needs. After the events that unfolded tonight, she needed a release. As she stared up at the moon and shining stars beyond the trees, she took in a deep breath. She breathed in the smell of the trees around her and felt at peace being alone. Walking up to one of the trees, she stuck her hand inside and pulled out with a black duffel bag. 

_Glad that's still here._

Setting the bag to the side, she began to undress her clothes. Once done, she stuffed her clothes into the already half full duffle bag along with her phone. She then recited the incantation for a spell that would allow her to mark and remember this current location. Immediately after, she took off into her wolf form, leaving behind all of her worries. 

// 

After some time, Hope returned back to the pinned spot and quickly transformed back into her human form. She immediately changed too, in part due to fear of someone finding her exposed and also in fear of someone finding her transform. Reaching into the bag to grab her phone, she mistakenly took hold onto a necklace instead. As she felt the ridges and curves of the necklace, she felt her heart drop. Grabbing it out of the bag, she held it out under her moonlight. The moonlight reflected onto the necklace unveiling the Mikaelson crescent. Her thumb brushed over the "M", thoughts of her family rushing into mind. Once again reaching inside the bag, she pulled out her beloved crescent moon necklace. 

_I remember when I used to never take it off._

Tears swelled up in her eyes as she bit her lip trying to fight back. Memories of her family, especially those with her mom and dad flooded her, eventually causing the tears to flow. As an effort to recompose herself, she wiped her tears and began to take deep breaths. She stared down at the jewelry once more, her thumb continuing to trace the outline of each. Deciding to wear the moon again, she kept it in her hand as she put the other away. Once she put on the necklace, Hope held onto the crescent pendant and smiled to herself. It felt nice to wear it again, in a sense it made her feel closer to mother, whom she missed daily. If she could have it her way, Hope would wear both but it'd be too much of a risk considering her dad's infamous rep and her aunt literally being a part of the faculty at this school. 

Reaching in the bag once again to grab her phone, she felt it vibrate just as it reached her hands. 

**_unknown number: hey everything good??_ **

**_unknown number: - your stalker roommate josie :P_ **

**_unknown number: oh god don't tell me i have to get out of bed and show you the way back to the dorm_ **

**_unknown number: or even worse, actually call jed to go look for you_ **

**_unknown number: kidding but lmk when you're heading back! wanna make sure you're okay_ **

A smile appeared on Hope's face as she read the messages. She had to admit, it felt good to have Josie in her life again. Josie was always one of the few people she felt she could truly be herself around so it was horrible knowing she had no recollection of their past. After Malivore, she would’ve never expected to cross paths with the brunette Saltzman, let alone anyone else from the Salvatore school. Ultimately, this left Hope in quite the predicament. For her, there seemed to only be two options—tell her the truth and possibly scare her in the process or lie to her and distance herself instead. Either way she looked at it, it was a lose-lose situation. In the meantime, she decided to just be civil but maintain her distance, though the brunette girl was sure making it hard. 

After inputting Josie as a contact, Hope drafted her reply:

_**hey everything's good! i just wrapped up, heading back now. see you in a bit** _

Just as she put the duffle bag back into its hiding spot and cast a cloaking spell over it, she felt her phone vibrate again. Making her way back, she unlocked her phone.

_**jo: see you :)** _

Hope quickly made her way back, beginning to feel more at ease with the campus around her. Despite her worries about what to do about her current situation, she decided to not think about it for the rest of the night. 

_That's a tomorrow problem._

_//_

As Hope entered her room, she found the brunette Saltzman’s figure curled up in her sheets. At the sound of the door, Josie looked up making eye contact with Hope. The girl’s hair was ruffled up, her eyes half-opened. "Hey, you made it back." 

"Sorry did I wake you?”

The brown-eyed girl shook her head, a soft smile planted on her face. “Not at all, I’m wide awake.”

“Your sleepy eyes say otherwise.” 

Josie let out a laugh, “Okay maybe I am a little drained, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t kidnapped by some monster in the woods.”

Arching an eyebrow, Hope glanced at the girl. “Monster you say?”

_Please don’t tell me Malivore is back..._

“You’d be surprised, had a few run-ins with some in the past!”

_Whew._

Playing it off as if she was completely unaware of the context, she laughed. “Well lucky–or unlucky–for you _Miss Monster-buster,_ there are no monsters lurking in our woods.”

“Yeah yeah, forgive me for worrying for your safety.” 

Hope shot a smile at the girl, “I appreciate it Jo.” She let out a sigh, “You should head back to bed though, it’s getting late.” 

Josie nodded, a huge yawn escaping her mouth. “Good idea. Goodnight Hope.” 

“Goodnight Josie.” 

After taking a quick shower, Hope changed into a pair of sweats and a black tank top. Despite the late hour, the tribrid found herself fully awake. Thinking about the day that unfolded before her, she couldn’t stop her mind from racing. Coming here was supposed to be a simple, harmless trip. Instead she managed to wind up becoming roommates with Josie, somehow managed to spend the whole night with her, and even run into a few other students from the Salvatore school.. It has been less than a day yet Hope was already starting to feel herself gravitate towards the girl. It wasn’t good. Hope didn’t know what to do. 

Clenching her jaw and closing her eyes, she ran a hand through her hair. 

_I better go on a walk to cool down._

Deciding to grab a cup of water in the common room, Hope left her room quietly making sure not to wake up the siphoner. Right as she walked down the steps, her eyes were met with the other brunette figure she saw earlier in the day. 

“Maya?” 

Eating a bowl of ramen, the girl looked up. “Hey look who came down to see me.”

Hope chuckled, beginning to fill a cup of water. “Yup. Just couldn’t resist myself.” 

Feigning a sense of hurt, she let her free hand over her heart. “Ouch, the sarcasm burns.” 

Letting out an actual laugh, the blue-eyed girl shook her head at the other. “Okay, dramatic.” 

Maya held a smug smile on her face before taking a bite of her food. “So what’re you doing up so late?” 

_My very existence is unknown_. 

“Can’t sleep for some reason.” Hope took a sip of water, “You?” 

“Late night munchies.” Referencing her bowl, she took another big bite of noodles. “I could go for a movie. You awake enough for one?” 

Hope glanced at her phone, taking note of the time. Reconnecting eye contact, she shrugged. “Why not, can’t sleep anyways.” 

“Perfect, let’s head to my room.” 

Finishing her water, she threw the reusable cup in the trash. “Your roommate isn’t asleep?” 

Maya grinned at the girl, “Nope, I have a single.” 

“A single and next to the common room?? You've got it made.” 

“Truly, my luck is amazing.” 

On the way towards Maya’s room which happened to be only a couple doors down from the common room, Maya dropped her paper bowl in the trash. Easily sliding her keys into the door, she opened it revealing her room. Hope wasn’t sure what she was expecting but she felt as if the design of the room perfectly matched Maya’s character. String lights decorated the top of her walls, rocking a purple hue. On one part of her wall was a grid collage containing various album covers while the one above her bed consisted of a row of vinyl records.

 _Guess she likes music._

As for her furniture, Maya’s room was comprised of essentially everything in Hope’s own room except without the second bed. Additionally, Maya had a clothing rack full of jackets, though Hope guessed it to be something she set up on her own.

“So how do you feel about the room?” 

“I really like it. It’s so you.” 

“Good, I practically spent the whole day decorating.” A smile was exchanged between the two as Maya began to take her shoes off. “Oh also no shoes on bed, house rule.” 

Hope simply nodded, beginning to take off her own. Once finished, they both plopped on her bed, Maya opening up her laptop to access Netflix. 

Maya glanced at the auburn-haired girl, “Have anything in mind?” 

“Anything but horror, I’ve been watching too much lately and it’s been giving me nightmares.” 

“Yeah I don't do horror anyways, hm how about comedy?” 

They go back and forth suggesting genres, and begin to explore possible movies from each but ultimately are stumped trying to find one they both agree on. Ultimately they decide to go with a TV show instead, choosing American Vandal. 

“There we go. A mix of something we both wanted.” 

Hope chuckled, “Finally. We took a movie’s worth of time just trying to find one.” 

“Yeah… about that, I wanna make popcorn before we start.” 

Hope glanced at the girl, a laugh escaping from her lips. “Talk about munchies.” 

“I can’t help it!”

“Okay hurry and go ahead, I’ll wait here.” 

In an instant, the brunette haired girl sprung up and grabbed a bag of popcorn. Leaving the room momentarily, she came back a couple minutes later carrying the now blown up bag full of popcorn. Plopping onto the bed once more, Maya pressed play. 

“And the show begins.”

As the pair progress through the show, Hope finds herself being hit with waves of drowsiness. Her exhaustion from the day was finally catching up with her as she began to feel the back of her eyes start to burn. Her blinks became slower in pace, her eyes beginning to feel strained the more and more she watched the screen. As an effort for relief, Hope shut her eyes promising herself only for the time being until her eyes stopped burning. The next thing she knew, her body fell into a trance and she was fast asleep. 

Fluttering her eyes open, Hope was surprised to find the room once purple, now full of natural light. Her eyebrows instantly furrowed as she took in the room around her. 

_Oh shit._

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty.” 

Rubbing one of her eyes, she peered at the girl in front of her. 

“I’m sorry I must’ve fallen asleep without realizing, my bad Maya.” 

In response, the brunette shook her head. “No worries, didn’t realize we’d take our friendship to the next level so soon having a sleepover the same night we met but hey, no complaints.” 

Hope rubbed her eyes before extending an arm to prop herself up. She glances down to see a blanket draped over her body. 

_I don't remember using this._

“You fell asleep after me and didn't wake me up?” 

“I think we ended up sleeping at the same time actually. I woke up in the middle of the night though because of all the lights. I turned everything off and didn’t wanna wake you so decided to let you sleep. Hence the blanket.” 

Hope nodded, a smile forming on her face. “Thanks Maya, didn’t mean to intrude. You could've woken me up when you woke up this morning though.” 

“Nah, you looked too peaceful. I was scared all hell might break loose if I disturbed that.” 

They both let out a laugh as Hope began to sit up properly. She reached for her phone, checking the time. 

_12:04 PM_

“Oh my god, I slept in so late. I should start heading back now.” 

Maya nods, “Yeah I’m about to shower and head to the dining hall.” 

“Maybe I’ll see you there, I’m starving.” 

“Told you you should’ve eaten some of the popcorn.” 

Hope rolled her eyes, “Yeah yeah, I wasn’t hungry then.” Standing up from the bed and going to put her shoes on, she smiled at the other girl. “Thanks again for last night, really helped my insomnia.” 

Maya reciprocated a smile, “Anytime Hope. We have plenty of American Vandal episodes whenever you're down.” 

With that, Hope left the room heading up back to her own.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter and beyond, I’m gonna start incorporating mixed POVS in the same chapter so I’ll differentiate each in the beginning of each perspective. also from here on out things are finally going to start picking up!

**Josie's POV**

Upon opening her eyes, Josie found that it was unusually brighter than normal. One look to the right, she saw the source of the reason: the lamp was still on.

_ Hm. Weird.  _

As her eyes trailed behind the lamp, she found Hope’s bed empty and made. Quickly checking her phone, she found that it was only 10 o’clock in the morning. 

_ Jeez, someone’s an early bird. _

Deciding to shrug it off, Josie switched the lamp off and got up. She then rolled up part of the blinds. She peered through and after judging the weather, she walked towards her closet. Once settled on an outfit, she headed to the bathroom to wash her face and get ready for the day. 

After a solid forty five minutes, the brunette girl came out of the bathroom all dressed and ready. She was sporting a cropped white tee along with a baby blue striped romper. Her hair was left down and curled. As for her makeup, the girl used eyeliner and mascara to accentuate her eyes while adding a mauve color to her lips. Deciding to prepare for the week ahead and figure out where her classes were, Josie set out for the day. 

//

After reviewing her schedule and checking out where all her classes would be, Josie headed for the dining hall. It was a little past noon and she was starving. She hardly ate the previous day and as a result, her stomach had been non stop growling since she woke up. It only intensified as a whiff of fresh sushi and noodles hit her nose upon walking in. Once she grabbed a bowl of udon and seaweed salad, Josie made her way to a table. Her friends from the Salvatore school as well as her sister all planned to meet there in thirty, exchanging each other’s schedules to see if anyone shared classes. She figured she’d come early so she could eat in peace. 

Looking around the dining hall, she found it to be mostly empty and fairly quiet. There were a few groups of friends scattered around but for the most part, there was nobody. As the siphoner’s eyes trailed the room, they caught the figure of a short auburn-haired girl. Watching as the girl struggled to reach the top row of her drink, Josie chuckled to herself. Not wanting to invade Hope’s privacy, she decided to switch focus back on her food. After a few seconds though, Josie looked back up to see the girl scanning the room. It was then she realized that Hope was alone. 

As per Josie fashion, she called out for her. “Hope!” The brunette girl raised a hand, motioning for the auburn hair girl to come sit with her. Their eyes connected and it wasn't long until Hope made her way down to the table. 

“Hey Josie.” 

They exchanged a smile, Hope getting situated with her food. For a brief moment, a comfortable silence fell over them. 

“Do you normally sleep with the light on?” 

Confused, Hope looked up at the girl and furrowed her eyebrows. “What?” 

“When I woke up the light was on and I just figured you left it on all night.” Josie let out a chuckle. “Also did not expect you to be an early bird considering your woods run late last night.”

Hope parted her lips, unsure of how to respond. “Um, I actually.” She swallowed as her blue eyes made eye contact with brown. “I slept over someone’s room last night.” 

Josie nearly choked on her food, caught by surprise. “Oh-” A brief silence passed before Josie cleared her throat. “Who was it?” 

“Her name’s Maya. She lives on the floor below us, I met her while moving in.” 

_ ‘Her.’ _

_ Wait. _

_ Her name sounds familiar. _

Josie nods, pursing her lips. “So, you and Maya are...”

“Wait no no, it wasn’t like that. I ran into her getting water, we decided to watch Netflix and long story short, I ended up falling asleep by accident.” She let out a small laugh, “We didn’t sleep together like that.” 

Feeling embarrassed from her assumption, Josie slightly slumped in her chair. “Gotcha.” 

“I mean while I am into girls, Maya and I met only yesterday. We’re just friends.” 

_ Interesting. _

The brunette once again nodded, “I understand.” 

As the conversation died down, the pair carried on with their meals. After  a few minutes passed, an unidentified girl came by saying hi to Hope. 

Hope held a smile waving at the girl, replying “Hey Maya.” Once she was out of their line of sight, the girl reconnected eye contact with the brunette. “Speak of the devil.” 

Josie scrunched her nose, “Her? Why?” 

The blue-eyed girl raised an eyebrow at Josie, looking at her suspiciously. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“She went to the public high school in my hometown.” 

“And?” 

“She was at our rival school the last few years. I always played her in football.

“Didn’t take you as a competitive football player Jo.” 

“Yeah well I just don’t like her.” 

Coming off harsher than Josie hoped, Hope was shocked at the reply. 

“So basically for no reason?” 

“No.”

“Then?” 

“Just the vibe she gives off.” 

“Jo, you haven't even formally met her. I’m sure how she is on the field is not how she is in real life.” 

The brunette girl shrugged, breaking eye contact to look down at her food. “I didn’t even know she was supernatural.” 

“Ahh well that discovery only happened this past summer for her so.”

Josie’s eyebrows raised but decided to not ask further. “Anyways. Have you looked at your schedule yet?” 

After taking a bite of her food, Hope shook her head. “They’re out?” 

“Yeah silly, classes start tomorrow.” 

“Right. I should probably check right now. I’m guessing you have?” 

“Yup.” Josie pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, shrugging. “Have it all memorized and everything.” 

Hope’s lips twitched into a smile, “Of course you do.” Setting her chopsticks down, she took her phone to log in and locate her schedule. 

“I wonder if we have any classes together.” 

The blue-eyed girl slid the phone across the table, “Check and see for yourself.” 

As a response, Josie nodded taking the phone into her hands. Reading through her schedule, she was pleased to see that they shared a solid two classes together. 

_ Wow, half. _

Josie grinned at the girl. “We have combat and offensive magic together.” 

Hope looked at her in disbelief, “Half of our classes? Damn.” 

“I also think you have potions with Lizzie? I can’t remember but you could probably ask her in a bit.” 

Hope gave Josie a sideways look. 

“Oh yeah, my friends from the Salvatore school are all meeting up here in a few to exchange schedules. You’re welcome to stay and see if you have any fellow classmates if you'd like.”

Hope’s lips parted slightly, “Oh.” 

“I know you & Lizzie probably started off on the wrong foot with her first impression but trust me she’s only joking.“ 

Hope nodded, biting on her lip. “It’s not that, I would love to stay. I just remembered I promised Maya I’d help her put something up in her room.” 

_ Oh they seem very close. _

“Oh okay, no worries. I guess I’ll see you back at the dorm?” 

“Yeah I’ll see you later Jo. Have fun.” Flashing one last smile, the auburn-haired girl stood up carrying her things. She quickly threw away her stuff, leaving promptly. 

**Hope’s POV**

Rushing out of the dining hall, Hope let out a few breaths hoping she didn’t leave the impression that she was running away. Even though that was exactly what she was doing. Once out of the building, she sped walk back to the dorms hoping she wouldn't fall to bad luck and run into someone. Lucky for her, she made it to the dorms safely. Heading straight to the eleventh floor, she went to Maya’s room, knocking on it. 

Slightly confused, the brunette opened the door with a puzzled expression. “Hope, what's up?” 

“Can I come in?” 

“Yeah of course.” Maya stepped back, opening the door wider.

“I don't know who else to talk to about it and right now you’re one of the only people I somewhat trust.” 

“Hope you’re scaring me, what’s going on?” 

“Knowing that you’ve only recently become a wolf and just found out about supernaturals, I feel like I could trust you? Because there's no reason for you to disguise any feelings of remorse for me and-.” 

“For what Hope? I’m so confused.” 

“You know the Salvatore Boarding school?”

Maya’s face grew in confusion as she peered at the auburn-haired girl. “Yeah that’s my old rival school back home. A bunch of the students there go here.” 

“So I heard. Here’s the thing, I went there too.” 

The brunette raised an eyebrow, “I don't remember seeing you on the field the past couple of years.” 

“I know, that’s because I left the school before you moved. None of them remember me and my time there.” 

“What, why not?”

Hope later described in full all the details concerning Malivore and her sacrificial departure. She then caught her up with Josie incidentally being her roommate and everything else that has happened up to date.

“So you & Josie were super close before Malivore, she forgot your existence after your jump, and yet you've somehow found yourself as her roommate and on top of that, all your other friends from the school are here too??” 

Hope nodded, exhaling a breath. “Yup.” 

“Holy shit.” 

“Not to mention we have half our classes together.” Hope lets out a sigh, her hands running through her hair. “I’m not even here for school.” 

Maya blinked, unsure of what the girl meant. “Then?”

“I came to check up on my Aunt Freya. You know, the head of admissions and student services. I didn't want to cause havoc or anything, I only wanted to see how she was doing. I miss my family, I was never supposed to see anyone especially not Josie.” 

“And what about Landon?” 

“I haven't thought about him in a long time.” 

“Damn. Cold.” 

“I just mean that I did this for him to be safe, and for Josie and the rest of them. I’m happy knowing they’re all safe from Malivore, even if it means I'm invisible to them.” 

Maya nods, a silence taking over them.

“Question,” Hope raises her eyebrows, waiting for Maya to continue. “So you and Josie, you guys are just good friends?”

Hope blinked, staring blankly at the girl. “What? Yeah of course, I told you I was with Landon.” 

“I know but you said your issue is feeling like you keep gravitating towards Josie despite your so called efforts to not get too close.” 

“Yeah and?”

“Nothing, it seems like you & Josie have a special bond but hey, I’ll take your word for it. If you say you’re friends, you’re friends.” 

“I mean there was this one time when we were fourteen,” The tribrid slipped out before shaking her head. “But it was nothing. We just had silly crushes on each other, that’s all.” 

Maya nodded deciding not to poke further. “Right. So what is your plan then?”

Hope buried her face in her hands, “I have no idea.” 

“What’s the harm in telling them?”

“They seem so happy and it’s been so long since it happened. They’ve all moved on and I don't want to disturb that.” 

“But they haven't moved on? They don’t even know of your existence and what happened, they only continued on because they didn't know the truth.” 

Hope let out a sigh, letting her back fall onto the bed. “I don't know Maya.” 

“Side note, I cannot believe you’re a tribrid. That’s so sick.” 

“Yeah… Everybody wants to be a tribrid until they actually have to.” 

Maya laughed, “Well your secret’s safe with me Hope. I won't tell a soul.” 

Hope held a faint smile, looking at the girl. 

“So what classes are you taking?” 

The pair exchanged schedules. To their luck, they found that although they shared the same classes and the same professors, they didn't share the same sections with them. Nonetheless they were grateful that this would at least allow them to study together. 

For the next several hours, Hope stayed camped out in Maya’s room. In part due to fear of running into Josie along with her entourage of Salvatore School students but also in part because she genuinely enjoyed Maya’s presence. It’s been a long while she found someone to confide in after everything went down, in a sense it was relieving. At least  _ somebody _ knows now. They spent the night watching more American Vandal, but also took breaks to get to know each other better. Maya opened up about her family, including her brother who despite also being a wolf, decided to live a “normal life”. Hope slightly opened up about her family, but moreover only the basics. She didn’t feel the need to go into depth, and she didn’t particularly want to. Maya didn’t push, only absorbing the information the tribrid willingly gave out. 

Once the clock struck eleven, the blue-eyed girl decided it was time to call it a night. Classes started relatively early tomorrow and she didn’t wanna accidentally wake up Josie coming back so late. Once she and Maya said their goodbyes, Hope headed back up. 

When Hope arrived, she was automatically greeted by Josie, who was just getting into bed. 

“Hey Jo.”

“Hey Hope.” The brunette smiled softly, “Have a good night?” 

“Yeah, I did. What about you?”

“It was nice to see everyone sober. I don’t think many remember the entirety of last night.”

The tribrid let out a laugh, “Oh god, classic.” She kicked her shoes off, heading towards her drawer to grab her pajamas. “So any luck with finding any classes with people?”

“Weirdly enough, I have almost none with anyone else. Aside from the classes with you, I only have one other with a friend. Jed is also in our offensive magic class though.” 

“Of course, the one and only  _ Alpha-male Jed _ .” 

This time Josie let out a laugh, readjusting her pillow. “That’s him.” Once settled, the girl laid her down. “I’m going to try to get some rest for tomorrow. In case I don’t catch you in the morning, I’ll see you in class! Goodnight Hope.” 

“Goodnight Josie.” 

Hope took this cue to head into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once she washed up and brushed her teeth, she headed back in the room. Expecting the Saltzman girl to be fast asleep, she turned off all the lights and headed into bed trying to make as little noise as possible. Pulling the blankets over her body, she shut her eyes, but only to no luck. 

// 

It was sometime after midnight when noises of bed sheets ruffling consumed the room. Hope stirred and stirred, still finding it extremely hard to put her mind at ease. At first the tribrid laid silent, staring up at the dark ceiling, however, as time went on she grew impatient. With her racing thoughts, she felt too anxious to lay still. Unknowing to her, the girl laying in the bed beside her was the same way. Due to this, the blue-eyed girl was startled when the brown-eyed girl opened up to speak. 

"Hope?" 

"Jo? Why are you awake?" 

"I could ask you the same thing. Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be." Slipping out as more of a statement than a question, the girl let out a small sigh.

"I don't know, you just seem-" Josie pauses, taking a brief moment to figure out the right word to say. "Restless." 

A sarcastic chuckle escaped the tribrid's lips as she turned onto her side. "Yeah you could say that again." 

"Ah that makes two of us." 

Despite the darkness blocking a clear figure of Josie, Hope swears she could hear a smile out of that phrase. A content silence swept over them as the two let the conversation naturally die out.

A beat. 

"Why are you up?" 

This time it was Josie's turn to turn and face Hope, well at least the shadowy figure of the other girl. "No answers for free?" 

Hope immediately perked up an eyebrow, a small smile forming on her face. "Fine, you go first." 

"Well, long story short I'm anxious for classes tomorrow. As excited I am for this new start, I'm also super nervous. I've been at the same school all my life so I don't really know what to expect." 

"To be fair, this probably won't be that much different from your old school. The only major difference here is that everyone's older and the content is more progressive. We're all here for the same reason, to help keep other supernaturals safe. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about Jo. Just give it some time and you'll adjust."

The brunette Saltzman lets out a sigh, "Yeah I guess you're right, I chose to come for a reason. Okay, your turn." 

Hope remained silent, trying to think of how to articulate her thoughts. 

_ You don't even know who I am.  _

The tribrid clenched her jaw, feeling her eyes starting to burn. "Honestly," Hope breathed out, "I feel like a fraud at this school. I don't know if I belong here." 

"A fraud? What do you mean?" 

The tribrid takes a deep breath before turning back onto her back, staring absently at the ceiling. "Just unsure if this is the right place for me."

"Well I for one think this is just the place for you. Hope, I saw your face when we were touring campus earlier. You absolutely loved it. Everything I showed you, your eyes lit up at the sight of it. The training facility alone you kept gawking at." The brown-eyed girl lets out a breath, "I’d say you belong here." 

Hope keeps quiet as silent tears flowed down her face. 

_ Thank god for darkness. _

"I just hope you're right Jo." 

"You can thank me at the end of the semester." The brunette teased, a soft yawn creeping out right after. "I think I'm going to head to bed for real now. Thank you for that Hope, goodnight." 

"Goodnight Josie." 

Not long after, the Saltzman twin completely slipped into a deep sleep while Hope laid still wide awake. Unlike earlier, Hope didn't find herself constantly stirring in bed but rather paralyzed from her thoughts. It wasn’t until an hour later when her mind settled down and she was finally able to rest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s what the hell was that last episode :/


End file.
